No Longer In Fear
by JAT.NJ
Summary: Lee Kara. Short, fluffy fic set after Crossroads pt2. Spoilers for Maelstrom.Summary: Kara isn't afraid anymore


Disclaimer: The show and the characters are not and never were mine.

This is for Tracyj23.

**No Longer In Fear -**

The deck crew stared at the viper that had landed alongside Apollo's. They had heard the radio chatter and if what they'd heard was correct, Starbuck had returned from the dead.

The canopy of Apollo's Mark VII opened first and he emerged, descending the ladder slowly and calmly, like he had just come off a routine CAP.

He glanced quickly at the Mark II next him then looked over at Chief Tyrol. "Clear the deck." Apollo ordered, his voice barley above a whisper.

Tyrol blinked, seeming to wake from the ethereal daze that had overcome everyone on the flight deck, and began to open his mouth to protest: they had to do the post flight checks and refuel the ships. Not to mention the entire Marine force had probably been deployed to the hangar deck by now, but the look on Apollo's face stopped him dead in his tracks and he merely nodded.

"Let's go people." He shouted. "You heard the man. Clear the deck."

Lee nodded his appreciation.

"The Admiral is probably on his way." Tyrol reminded him.

Lee searched his mind for a way to hold off his father. If this _was_ Kara, he wanted her to himself for a little while before the frenzy started. "Tell him I'm in the process of securing the hangar deck and to wait for the all clear." He said.

"You know, technically you're a civilian." Tyrol replied with a grin. "You don't have the authority to secure anything."

"Then I guess you and I will be seeing each other in the brig, since technically, you let a civilian go up in that viper." Lee retorted.

"Well, you can be a very opposing man, sir."

Lee laughed. "Get out of here."

Tyrol snapped a quick salute and gave one last look over Apollo's shoulder at the silent Mark II. "Good luck, sir." He said, before taking his leave.

Lee didn't move until he heard the hatch close behind the Chief. Finally alone, he took a deep breath before he turned to face the viper that only months ago he had witnessed exploding into a million unrecognizable pieces with the woman he loved inside of it.

Yet there it was, right in front of him. Exactly as it had been before they had taken off on that fateful day.

The canopy slid open and she smiled at him through her helmet.

"_Don't freak out, Lee. It really is me." _Her voice echoed in his head, and he smiled. With a lightness he hadn't felt in a long time, he jogged over to her viper and climbed the ladder to the cockpit. She had already undone the clasps that attached her helmet to her flight suit, and he helped her lift it off her head and place it out of the way.

She cleared her throat nervously and looked up at him with a shy smile. "Hey." She said quietly.

Lee knew he was staring at her unabashedly, but he couldn't stop himself. He reached out slowly to touch her, pushing that forever stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It really is you, isn't it?"

"It really is." She replied, her eyes never leaving his. Then she giggled. "Are you gonna help me out of here, or what?"

The question snapped Lee out of his trance, and he chuckled at his behavior. "Um, yeah. Sorry." He faltered nervously, extending his hand to help her out of the cockpit and feeling that old shiver down his spine that he got whenever he touched her.

When they finally reached the floor of the hangar deck, she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I missed you," She whispered into his neck.

It felt too real to be a dream.

It felt too good to let go.

So when she tried to pull away, he held on tighter.

"Lee, I have to tell you something." She said.

Lee loosened his hold slightly and waited for her to continue.

"Before I went into the storm, I said something to you. Do you remember?"

Lee nodded, choking back the emotion that always came when he remembered that day. "You asked me to let you go. You said you weren't afraid anymore." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have let you fly that day. I should have stuck closer to you…maybe I could have stopped you…saved you…"

Kara reached up and touched his cheek. "Don't do that Lee. Knowing you, you've been beating yourself up over that day ever since it happened, and you shouldn't."

Lee blushed at the truth of her words.

"There wasn't anything you should have or could have done differently." She continued. "I didn't know what was going to happen, but I did know I wasn't going to die."

Lee looked at her inquisitively.

"I've never been afraid of dying, Lee." She said with a smirk. "I realized before I went into the maelstrom that everything I was afraid of, had to do with living."

She raised herself slightly on to her toes. "I'm not afraid anymore." She whispered, pressing her lips against his.

fin


End file.
